“What I want...is for you to betray Altane,” said the Demon Lord. “Give us the information we need and pass a fake report to the capital.”
Ariel narrowed her eyes. “What are you after?”
“We want to dismantle the Altanian empire and establish a new system.”
“Why go through all that trouble? You could easily destroy humanity like crushing a bug in your hands, couldn’t you, Demon Lord?”
“Just ‘Eluria’ is fine. I’m not exactly the same person who was called the Demon Lord in this world, nor do we have the same goals. I’m here to save the First World, so I’d like to avoid unnecessary sacrifices wherever possible.”
“Hah... That’s quite the huge flip, no? Going from destroying the world to saving humanity?”
“Yes. Because I feel like that’s my responsibility as Eluria Caldwin.”
Ariel could see neither falsehood nor hesitation in her eyes. She looked wholly certain of her ability to save this world. If it had been anybody else, Ariel wouldn’t have believed it—but she wasn’t dealing with just anybody right now. “So you’re saying you can save us...because it’s magic you made yourself?”
“Mm-hmm. But I don’t have enough information. So first, we need to dismantle Altane so that we can securely gather the information that we need.”
“Even then, it’s impossible. Whether you get the information you need by force or by some clever scheme, there isn’t a single person in this world who would obey the Demon Lord.”
The Demon Lord had taken everything from the people of the First World. Their homes, their country, their future—nothing was left for them, and it was all because of the Demon Lord. Even if she came back as a different person from a different world claiming she’d save them, not a single person would follow her lead.
“But what about the Sage?” she muttered. “Raid Freeden has come to this world with me.”
His title was just as widely known as hers but infinitely more favored by the people of this world. Sage Raid Freeden had left humanity with invaluable knowledge and precious technology that had not only advanced their society but had also helped them survive the Demon Lord’s rampage.
Ariel squinted. “According to the reports, the Raid Freeden of the Second World is known as the Hero, is he not? Wouldn’t he be a different person, then?”
“I’m also a different person, but the people here would still see me as the Demon Lord. Then the same likely goes for Raid Freeden. So long as the people remember that his research and findings helped them survive this long, then his name will always be a source of hope for them.” It would bring the people of this world immense hope to hear that Raid Freeden came here to save them. “He may be a different person in essence, but there will probably be some things that only ‘Raid Freeden’ can understand—quirks in his handwriting, subtleties in his wording, and so on and so forth.”
“So you’re saying...he might be able to decipher the Sage’s Codex.”
“Exactly. In this world, I created magic from the Sage’s Codex. There must be things in there that only Raid and I can understand.”
A thousand years had passed, but most of the contents of the Sage’s Codex remained a mystery to humanity. By now, there were too few survivors and too many monsters pressing into their lands for them to allocate any manpower toward deciphering the Codex. With ruin’s footsteps creeping in from behind, Eluria’s offer was a godsend. After all, who better to overturn this hopeless situation than the Hero and the Sage of the Second World?
Ariel didn’t doubt that at all, and she understood it very well. But even then, she simply couldn’t accept. “Still...I cannot betray Altane.”
“Because your ancestors already betrayed Vegalta?”
Ariel sighed. “Did Dian tell you that too?”
“Mm-hmm. Here in the First World, Vegalta resisted Altane’s expansion but ultimately succumbed when House Verminant struck a deal with Altane and betrayed their country.”
Vegalta had led the small western nations to fend off Altane’s invasion but had ultimately fallen at the hands of a betrayal from the inside—specifically from House Verminant, known at the time as loyal knights of the kingdom. They had double-crossed the very master they’d sworn their loyalty to, taking the sovereign’s head with their own hands and submitting to Altane.
Not to mention that was only the first time they’d betrayed their home country.
“My father accepted the order to assassinate Eluria Caldwin in the past and killed you in the Second World, where you were known as Vegalta’s Sage. It was an act that could very well have led to Vegalta’s ruin once more in the second timeline.”
With the power of magic, Vegalta in the Second World had been successfully fighting off Altane—but once again, House Verminant had chosen to abide by Altane’s orders. To this day, Ariel could remember what her father had asked her after he’d returned to the First World with Viteos:
“Did we really do the right thing?”
They betrayed their country and led it to ruin, then went back in time only to betray it once more. Her father’s forlorn features were seared into her memories. And so, on the day she became a Hero, Ariel had sworn a pledge in her heart:
“As one of the chosen Heroes, my duty lies in protecting the people and the country. I will never betray them again. And by my hand, I will clear the Verminant name of its traitorous stigma.” So even if she understood that Eluria’s plan was their best shot at saving the world, Ariel simply couldn’t comply. This was her pride as a person and her duty as a Verminant—
“Yeah... I don’t really care about all that,” muttered Eluria with a wave of her hand. “I think you should betray them anyway.”
“Wha... Whaaat?!” Ariel’s jaw dropped, the impassioned resolve that had been building up in her chest now smashed to bits.
Eluria shrugged. “You know what they say: Third time’s the charm.”
“I don’t think that saying is meant for this kind of situation!”